Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle.
Related Background Art
A vehicle seat disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-089582 has a configuration in which a mesh-shaped (lattice-shaped) net is disposed to stretch in a pair of frame members of a seat backrest so that a bending provider for bending the net is attached to a rear surface of the net. In this manner, the net is bent by the bending provider so as to have a shape which fits a body shape of a user. As a result, a sense of fit felt by the user for the net is improved, and a pressure difference partially decreases between the net and the user, thereby allowing a seat to be comfortable when the user is seated.
Incidentally, when a driver sitting on a vehicle seat serving as a driver's seat performs a steering operation using a steering wheel, a vehicle occupant tries to pivotally move his or her upper body in a roll direction of a vehicle. However, the vehicle seat disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-089582 is configured so that a mesh-shaped net supports the upper body of the vehicle occupant. Consequently, this configuration inhibits the vehicle occupant from pivotally moving his or her upper body.
In addition, the vehicle occupant sitting on the driver's seat or the vehicle seat other than the driver's seat is deviated outward in a turning direction due to lateral acceleration applied thereto at the time of turning. However, the vehicle seat disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-089582 does not consider posture maintaining capability at this time of turning.
For this reason, this field of technology leaves room for improvement in steering operability in the driver's seat, and leaves room for improvement in the posture maintaining capability at the time of turning in the driver's seat and the seat other than the driver's seat.
A vehicle seat according to an aspect of the present invention includes a seat backrest that has a seat backrest frame formed in a frame shape and a net disposed to stretch in the seat backrest frame. The net has a first string portion arranged radially.
According to the vehicle seat in an aspect of the present invention, the net having the first string portion is disposed to stretch in the seat backrest frame formed in the frame shape. Accordingly, a vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat leans against the first string portion configuring the net. Then, since the first string portion configuring the net is arranged radially, the vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat can pivotally move his or her upper body around the connection portion. As a result, when the vehicle occupant (driver) sitting on the vehicle seat serving as a driver's seat performs a steering operation, the vehicle occupant can pivotally move his or her upper body in a roll direction of a vehicle, and thus can adopt a posture which enables the vehicle occupant to perform a comfortable steering operation. In addition, the vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat which is the driver's seat or the seat other than the driver's seat is deviated outward in a turning direction due to lateral acceleration applied thereto at the time of turning. However, a scapula of the vehicle occupant which comes into contact with the first string portion at a position offset from the connection portion is displaced in a pivotal movement direction around the connection portion. Accordingly, a head of the vehicle occupant is moved less. Moreover, the vehicle occupant can adopt a posture excellent in posture maintaining capability at the time of turning by pivotally moving the scapula in the pivotal movement direction around the connection portion. In this manner, steering operability is improved in the driver's seat, and the posture maintaining capability at the time of turning is improved in the driver's seat and the seat other than the driver's seat.
As an embodiment, the first string portion may extend radially from a connection portion, and the connection portion may be located higher than a vertical center of the seat backrest frame. In this way, the connection portion is arranged at a position higher than the vertical center of the seat backrest frame. Accordingly, the vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat can pivotally move his or her upper body around the vicinity of the scapula while leaning against the first string portion configuring the net. As a result, when the vehicle occupant (driver) sitting on the vehicle seat serving as a driver's seat performs a steering operation, the vehicle occupant can pivotally move his or her upper body around the vicinity of the scapula in the roll direction of the vehicle, and thus can adopt a posture which enables the vehicle occupant to perform the comfortable steering operation. In addition, the vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat which is the driver's seat or the seat other than the driver's seat can adopt a posture excellent in posture maintaining capability at the time of turning with the head being moved less by pivotally moving his or her upper body in the roll direction around the vicinity of the scapula.
As an embodiment, the connection portion may be located at a horizontal center of the seat backrest frame. In this way, the connection portion is located at the horizontal center of the seat backrest frame. Accordingly, the connection portion can oppose a portion between the scapulae on the right and the left sides. This enables the vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat to pivotally and more smoothly move his or her upper body.
In addition, as an embodiment, the net may further have a second string portion which is connected to the first string portion arranged radially. In this way, the first string portion arranged radially is connected to the second string portion. Accordingly, if any one of the first string portions is pivotally moved and displaced around the connection portion, the pivotally moved displacement is transferred to the other one of the first string portions via the second string portion, and the other one of the first string portion is also pivotally moved and displaced around the connection portion. For example, when the connection portion opposes a portion between the scapulae on the right and the left sides, it is possible to move the scapula on the right side and the scapula on the left side around the connection portion in directions opposite to each other. Accordingly, his or her upper body can be moved pivotally and more smoothly.
In addition, as an embodiment, the first string portion may extend radially from the connection portion, and the second string portion may be arranged in an annular shape which surrounds the connection portion. In this way, displacement of the first string portion is transferred to the overall net by arranging the second string portion in the annular shape which surrounds the connection portion. Accordingly, the upper body can be moved pivotally and more smoothly.
In addition, as an embodiment, the vehicle seat may further include a seat that is configured to be pivotally movable. A pivot axis of the seat may extend in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat, and may pass the vicinity of a waist of a vehicle occupant sitting on the seat. In this way, the seat is configured to be pivotally movable. The pivot axis of the seat extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat, and passes the vicinity of the waist of the vehicle occupant sitting on the seat. Accordingly, the vehicle occupant can pivotally move his or her upper body while pivotally moving his or her pelvis by twisting his or her lumbar spine. This enables the vehicle occupant to adopt a posture which enables the comfortable steering operation and a posture excellent in the posture maintaining capability at the time of turning. Therefore, the steering operability and the posture maintaining capability of the vehicle occupant at the time of turning are further improved.
According to an aspect and an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve steering operability in a driver's seat, and to improve posture maintaining capability at the time of turning in the driver's seat and a seat other than the driver's seat.